8th Grade Promotion: A Tradition to Keep

Eighth Grade graduation often signaled the end of one’s formal schooling. If there was a person who could read, write, an do a little figuring’ with numbers, that was often enough knowledge to successfully enter the world of work.

Sometime in the 20th century that changed. Parents wanted a high school diploma for their child, so eighth grade graduation started to lose its purpose and was fast becoming an anachronism.

But try to end a time-honored “’cause we always have done it that way” tradition, and one will find that something so popular is more than most administrators are willing to try to end.

Enter the perfect compromise. Eighth Grade Promotion.

It was still a public ceremony; it was still celebrated as an accomplishment; it was in no way the end of anyone’s schooling; and best of all, everyone was happy. In most parents’ minds, it was a difference without a distinction.

So that brings us to today, May 31, the final exclamation point on the 2023-2024 school year: eighth grade promotion. The eighth graders responsible for this years’ ceremony are Isabella Busby, Irelynn Kelly, Riley Merschman, Maison Nelson, and Cole Swanson. The sixth grade ushers were Kayla Syfert and Parker Pry and seventh grade ushers were Nevaeh Mincks and Kellan Porter.

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To me, this is saying to the Class of 2028 that you’ve finished childhood and now you can pick a field and start on gaining life skills and educational skills to make your dreams possible. Eighth Grade Promotion is an ending, but more importantly, it signals the beginning steps to adulthood.

This year, New London promoted 44 eighth graders to high school as they walked into the auditorium to the song “Good Feeling.”…How fitting.

The crowd was welcomed by Principal Kracht. Then there was a class-produced video celebrating each student’s uniqueness.

Next was the “presentation of the spoon.” This tradition started when the Class of 1969 were seventh graders. The criteria was the seventh grader who “mixed best” with the eighth graders, hence the spoon. The first recipient was Dave Collins. Owen Severson, last year’s pick, presented the spoon to this year’s seventh grade recipient, Kellan Porter.

Then Presidential Achievement Awards, Tiger Way Certificates, Honor Roll Certificates, and the 23-24 Student Council members were presented. They left the auditorium to “Country Roads” by John Denver.

Just right is the time and tenor of this Eighth Grade Promotion. In its own little way, it’s perfect. Let me be the first to congratulate the incoming freshmen class of New London High School.